Greenland - What a Wonderful World

Facts about holidaying
in Greenland (part 1/10)

Getting to Greenland

Updated February 1996


This information is provided by Greenland Tourism a/s, the official tourist board of Greenland

Getting to Greenland
Climate, temperature and precipitation
Clothing


An introduction to North America's unknown neighbor, only a few hours flying time from Europe, USA and Canada. With two weekly connections from Ottawa to Greenland, and with a developing tourism in Greenland, it doesn't take an expedition to go there any more.

This file is intended to give information about connections to Greenland, how to travel around in the country, hotels and youth hostels, etc. It describes some of the opportunities you have as a tourist in Greenland and gives a brief introduction to the regions and the towns. The last part (part 10) deals with the history and Greenland today.

We use the Greenlandic names for towns. The former Danish names, still found on many maps, are listed at the map of Greenland and at the end of this introduction (part 10).

Please e-mail Greenland Tourism a/s if you have questions about traveling to Greenland.



Getting to Greenland


Greenland is the world's largest island, and the only way to get there is by plane. There are four international airports offering scheduled services:

Kangerlussuaq (Sondrestrom) in central Greenland which is served by Copenhagen and by Ottawa via Iqaluit.

Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland, served by Copenhagen and Keflavik (Iceland).

Kulusuk in eastern Greenland served by Keflavik.

Nuuk (Godthaab) in central Greenland which, via Kulusuk, is served by Keflavik.

Pituffik (Thule Air Base) is served via Kangerlussuaq and has onward helicopter connections to Qaanaaq.

Tickets to Greenland can be booked at all travel agencies that are IATA agents. In addition, they can refer you to the internationally based offices of the airline companies SAS, Icelandair and FirstAir.

Price pointers:

In terms of 1996 prices, a standard return ticket with no time restriction, Denmark-Greenland, costs approximately US $1,400. An APEX ticket, which is subject to restrictions in terms of the minimum/maximum duration of your stay and time of booking costs approx. US $830. Various discount options are also available, e.g. pensioner, youth, student and spouse discounts.

From Ottawa to Greenland via Iqaluit, there are a number of discount options. Normal return ticket is approx. $ 1,600 and an APEX ticket costs appprox. $ 960.

From Iceland to Narsarsuaq, the price of a normal return ticket is approx. US $970, while the price of an APEX ticket will be approx. US $580.

From Iceland to Kulusuk, a normal return ticket costs approx. US $750 and an APEX ticket approx. US $590.

Flying in and around Greenland

Domestic services within Greenland are operated by Greenlandair Inc., which serves all towns as well as many villages all year round. Greenlandair serves the following towns with a four-engine Dash-7 aircraft, seating 50: Narsarsuaq, Nuuk, Kangerlussuaq, Ilulissat and Kulusuk. The other stretches are served either by Sikorsky S-61 helicopters or smaller helicopters such as the Bell 212. Qaanaaq/Thule is served by Firstair/Greenlandair from Kangerlussuaq via Pituffik.

Summer is the time when Greenland's own population travels widely. It is therefore advisable to book travel reservations by air or ship in good time. As a visitor to Greenland, it is important to note the following: The weather can change abruptly, and technical hitches may occur. So it is always advisable to enquire with Greenlandair the evening before - or at the latest the same day. Some hotels have a monitor in reception displaying the next day's flights. Should delays or cancellations arise as a result of the weather, technical problems or anything else, Greenlandair will defray the cost of any necessary accommodation and meals.

It is possible to charter helicopters from Greenlandair and a small 9-person seaplane from Suluit Air.

Travel by air and helicopter can be booked and paid for in Greenland from Greenlandair at the airports or Greenland Travel, which has offices in Nuuk and Ilulissat. In all towns, you will also find a KNI passenger office, which issues tickets for planes, helicopters and shipping.

Sailing in Greenland

Ships belonging to the KNI Pilersuisoq shipping company frequently visit the towns and villages of Greenland. Services, however, depend largely on the ice conditions in both summer and winter. The area north of Sisimiut, for example, becomes unnavigable after December because of the pack ice. The field ice around southern Greenland may also obstruct the regular shipping routes in the spring, leading to route changes or long delays.

Three ships are expected to sail the west coast of Greenland during 1996. The time spent in port on these routes is unfortunately too short to enable visitors to disembark, but the ships sail so frequently that you might like to spend a few days in town and leave by the next ship. There are smaller vessels locally which connect the towns with the surrounding villages.

You are advised to book tickets well in advance, since the summer period is also the time when the Greenlanders themselves like to travel.

It is generally cheaper to sail than to fly and, provided you have the time, you shouldn't miss the opportunity of experiencing the constantly changing coastline.

Price pointers:

Helicopter/plane one way:
Sisimiut-Nuuk approx. US $440
Ship one way:
Sisimiut-Nuuk approx. US $80-95 deck berth
approx. US $130-200 cabin berth.


Climate, temperature and precipitation

The light
Greenland is often associated with cold and darkness and it can, of course, get very cold. There is also plenty of light though, and although the polar darkness often reigns (in Qaanaaq the sun doesn't rise for a whole three months!) it is never totally dark. During the polar night, the sky is still lit up during the daytime. The moon reflecting off the snow and ice makes it perfectly possible to go skiing or to take out the toboggan. Once the light has "turned the corner" after 21 December, the shortest day, things develop apace. By the end of February, Ilulissat already enjoys more than eleven hours of daylight - the sun's in the sky for more than nine of these.
Greenland actually enjoys more hours of summer sun than anywhere down south, but the weather is nowhere near as warm, even though the light is much more intense. Greenland summers won't give you an all-over tan - but your face, neck and hands will all turn a beautiful shade of brown!

The climate
The enormous size of Greenland makes for large differences in climatic conditions between south and north. Yet within the individual regions, there is also a great difference, whether in an area near the coast or inland. The climate in Greenland can generally be said to be warmest during the summer, with least precipitation inland, while the open sea on the coast has a cooling effect on the air. One of the strong winds on the west coast is the Foehn, which may be presaged by lens-shaped clouds. As a rule, the Foehn spells warm winds from the south-east which may even be very powerful with gusts of more than 50 m/sec. The Foehn is usually short-lived (72 hours at most) and is generally followed by precipitation.

East Greenland has the Piteraq, a cold katabatic wind, a well-known and much-feared wind phenomenon. The highest gusts to date in Ammassalik were recorded in 1972 and measured 72 m/sec.

In Greenland, weather forecasts on the radio are broadcast only in Greenlandic and Danish. Since the weather is also highly localized and can vary from one fjord to the next, the most
satisfactory information is obtained by making one's own enquiries with people locally who know the individual warning signs.

Detailed climatic information about individual localities is available on application to the Danish Meteorological Institute or Greenland Field Investigations:

Danish Meteorological Institute
Lyngbyvej 100, DK-2100 Copenhagen
Tel. +45 39 15 75 00. Fax. +45 39 27 10 80

Greenland Field Investigations:
P.O. Box 1044, DK-3900 Nuuk
Tel. +299 24466. Fax. +299 24111.




In popular terms, it can be said that the weather is never bad in Greenland. It is simply a question of dressing properly for any occasion. Correct dress depends on the time of year, place and level of activity as well, of course, as the weather.

USEFUL WINTERTIME TIPS:
- Keep your head warm!
- Wool next to the body. Then insulating layers with windproofs on the outside.
- Make sure you have warm feet. (Roomy footwear, 2 layers of socks and
woolen socks on the outside.)
- Regulate the heat by putting clothing on and taking it off, or
opening and closing it. Avoid breaking into a sweat.

USEFUL SUMMERTIME TIPS:
- Always take along rain and windproof clothing - even if there
are blue skies.
- Take along both gloves and shorts - the weather changes
rapidly.
- Make sure you have warm, dry feet.
- Remember that even during the summer it is cold out on the
water.
- The evenings are chilly, even when there is midnight sun.
- A mosquito net can prove indispensable in July and August.

In winter and summer alike, footwear is important; even if you are on a hotel holiday, you will be getting out "into the countryside" on excursions. Shoes or lightweight hiking boots with a robust treaded sole are sensible footwear.

Dress in Greenland is generally informal, and at restaurants you will be equally welcome in jeans and a sweater as you will in a jacket and tie.


E-mail Greenland Tourism a/s

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